AMS 13🍓

Chapter 13

Yeoreum had originally used The-Moim, but since her new friends here mostly used Jini, she even convinced Boram to switch over with her.

After school, she would come home, log in, and chatter endlessly with Boram. Even though she saw her classmates all day long, she still messaged them. And now that she’d made friends in the broadcasting club as well, her messenger never stopped buzzing.

That day too, after a long chatter session, Yeoreum was about to shut off her computer when she noticed Hyunho come online. She hesitated.

She couldn’t help worrying about him, but she didn’t want to speak rashly. She was afraid he might find even her words burdensome.

“Most people just let it go since Sia’s so pretty. She buttered up a lot of people too. The kids she hit were quiet types, bookworms, so they didn’t want to make trouble. Even her two lackeys only hit them where it wouldn’t show, so unless they spoke up, no one would know. I saw it myself, and I snapped and fought back. But there was no proof it was Sia who ordered it… Ugh, it still pisses me off.”

Haerin’s voice echoed in Yeoreum’s mind. Unlike Haerin who lashed out, or Jeongwoo and Gyeol who openly defied the upperclassmen, Hyunho had taken everything upon himself in silence.

Feeling sorry for him, Yeoreum decided to just pretend nothing was wrong and strike up conversation like usual.

Yeoreum: Not sleeping? What are you doing?
Hyunho: Just logged in for a bit. You?
Yeoreum: Was chatting with the girls. About to sleep, then saw you, so I said hi.
Hyunho: Go to sleep. You’ll stunt your growth.
Yeoreum: I’m already grown!!

Hyunho replied with a string of laughing emoticons and ㅋㅋㅋ.

Yeoreum: Wow. So now you laugh at people for being short?
Hyunho: Sleep. Don’t be late tomorrow.
Yeoreum: I’m reading first! Then I’ll sleep.
Hyunho: What book?
Yeoreum: The Scent of Chrysanthemums.
Hyunho: Any good?
Yeoreum: Yeah… but kind of sad.

Yeoreum hesitated, then tossed out what was really on her mind.

Yeoreum: Hey, talk to me at school too. You talk more here on Jini than in class.
Hyunho: …I thought it might bother you.
Yeoreum: What would?
Hyunho: If I look like I’m in a bad mood, it might annoy you.
Yeoreum: So what, we should act like strangers?
Hyunho: That’s not it.
Yeoreum: Come on. Friends are nothing complicated. If you like being together, you stick around. If you don’t, you don’t. And sometimes you bug each other. That’s part of it. Living with that good kind of bother—isn’t that what friendship is?

Hyunho typed back a single word.

Hyunho: Philosophical.

He sounded nonchalant, but thanks to Yeoreum, his heavy mood lightened. Like sunlight breaking through after days of cloud, a trace of a smile returned to his face.

The next morning.

Yeoreum, who had gone to bed late, yawned wide as she touched her neck—and froze. She patted frantically.

“Ah! My tie…”

She had hung her tie on the coat rack the night before, and forgot to pack it. She realized only when she was already at the school gate.

“Come here.”

The discipline teacher had caught her. Yeoreum lined up beside the other offenders, teary-eyed. Passing students clicked their tongues, laughing and pointing.

Yeoreum didn’t mind their looks—until she saw him.

‘Oh no…’

Seonguk.

She prayed he wouldn’t notice, but of course, he did. His eyes landed on her, cold and unreadable. Yeoreum bowed quickly. After three silent seconds, he simply walked off.

Her punishment was just a slap on the palm, but the thought of being scolded later by that intimidating senior terrified her.

Back in class, her friends teased her with a chorus of, “Tsk, tsk, Han Yeoreum.” She pouted as she sat down—only to find Hyunho watching her.

Hyunho: “Tsk, tsk. Han Yeoreum.”

Yeoreum shot him a mock glare, but seeing him back to normal warmed her heart. She couldn’t help smiling.

Hyunho, embarrassed, doubled down.

Hyunho: “Tsk, tsk. Scatterbrain, Han Yeoreum.”
Yeoreum: “Shut.”
Hyunho: “Up.”

Their banter made Haerin and Jeongwoo exchange whispers.

Haerin: “Why’s he suddenly fine again? You know something?”
Jeongwoo: “No clue. Didn’t see them talk yesterday either.”
Haerin: “Whatever. As long as he’s okay.”
Jeongwoo: “Let’s ask Yeoreum later.”

But they never got the chance.

Between naps during break and noisy meals with the group, Yeoreum hardly had a moment alone. By lunchtime, Hyunho was called away—pale-faced—by a senior.

Yeoreum glanced at her phone.

‘1st-years, assemble.’

Her stomach dropped. She was being summoned too.

Inside the broadcasting room stood only the 1st-years and Seonguk. Once everyone arrived, his voice was clipped, stern.

Seonguk: “Tardiness. Rule violations. Violence. Don’t do it. Understood?”
All: “Yes!”
Seonguk: “Caught tardy or breaking rules—you’re stuck a month on machine duty, cleaning, and broadcast ops. Violence? You’re out of the club for good.”
All: “Yes!”
Seonguk: “Dismissed.”

Everyone bolted—except Yeoreum.

Seonguk: “Han Yeoreum.”

The others shot her sympathetic glances before vanishing. Alone now, she stood frozen.

“…It’s not that I dislike you.”

Yeoreum blinked.

“Huh? Oh—yes, senior.”

“I meant to say this anyway. Don’t take it to heart.”

“Yes.”

Seonguk handed her a small bottle of vitamin drink. She stared, baffled.

“Thought you might feel bad. Don’t. Keep it.”

“Th-thank you very much…”

“Don’t tell the others I gave it to you.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll head out first. Lock up, and listen in class.”

“Yes, sir! Thank you for the drink!”

Her bright, formal voice made him chuckle faintly as he left.

Yeoreum sipped the drink, realizing—maybe he wasn’t as scary as she thought.

Days passed peacefully. Hyunho’s mood was lifted, the broadcasting club ran smoothly. Even when she crossed paths with Sia in the halls, things stayed civil—if glaring contests counted as civil.

Aside from that, life felt like spring.

Still, Yeoreum’s rosy dream of co-ed school life was shattered. She had imagined sweet boys, shy girls, blossoming first loves. Instead—

‘Do they even like each other?’

She watched Haerin and Jeongwoo nearly kill each other over a slap game.

The roughhousing didn’t end there. Boys and girls played malddokbakgi, leaving bruises on wrists from zero games. Girls wrestled in gym pants under skirts.

Even Yeoreum wasn’t spared. Once, she yawned her way back to class only to bump into Hyunho. He casually grabbed her shoulder and flipped her onto the floor—lightly, but still shocking. She’d nearly yelped the first time.

Now she was used to it. Even Haerin was learning new moves, tripping boys for fun.

Was this what co-ed life was really like?

When classmates teased—

Classmate: “The way Choi Hyunho acts, maybe he likes you?”
Yeoreum: “What? You can say that after seeing how he treats me? Then by that logic, those two are head over heels!”

She pointed at Haerin, currently headlocking Jeongwoo.

The others tilted their heads. “Still looks like he likes you.”

Yeoreum denied furiously. “No way. Not us.”

The day went on with noisy, playful chaos—until literature class.

Their teacher, who also oversaw the broadcasting club, sighed.

Teacher: “My throat’s sore today. Starting from here, read in order to the right. If you stumble, next person takes over. Begin.”

And just like that, the reading began, voices circling closer.

Yeoreum, sitting in the back row and off-guard, realized too late—it was her turn far sooner than expected.